Height 600 metres on the sea level, tourism office tel.0941438350, people 4000.
Shopping:
“cenci, “suspiri”, marzipan,
honey, fried-honey cakes.
How to get there:
Highway A20, exit Brolo or Rocca di Caprileone, SS113 road fork for
Randazzo.
It offers wonderful views thanks to
the green beauty of the landscape. A holiday in Castell’ Umberto
allows to accompany the coolness of its environment to the nearness to
the Tyrrenian Coast. The sub-urban park, rich in animals (deers, fallow
deers, swans, ducks and other birds) offers magnificent green spaces above
a hill that has a superb view. Besides the benefits of a pure nature,
here there are ideal structures for a relaxing and funny holiday. The
ancient history of the town is written in the ruins located 5 km. away
from the centre following the provincial street for Tortorici. Really
suggestive is the Church dedicated to the patron of the town, San Vincenzo
Ferreri.
At first, the town was named “Castrum Aeneae”, and it was
located near to the coast. Then, until the beginning of the 20th century,
it took the name of “Castania”; in 1931 because of abundant
falls of rocks the original place was abandoned, and it was built on the
mountain, taking the name of Castell’Umberto in King Umberto ‘s
honour. Beside the historical centre and the ruins of the Castle Sollima,
a visit should also be paid to the churches: the Church of Santa Barbara,
the 1574 Church of Saint Francis, the Church of San Vincenzo, the Church
of Our Lady of the Annunciation, the 1931 Mother Church. In the proximity
of the centre there are many sport equipments as the town-swimming pool,
the tennis playing field, and the new sport building. Local festivities
usually take place in summer time and in fall. San Vincenzo Ferreri is
celebrated on the 26th, 27th, 28th of August; Our Lady of the Annunciation
on the first Sunday of September and Saint Francis on the third Sunday
of October. A huge zone standing in an upper position with regards to
the town enriches Castell’Umberto.
| The pinewood | Castania | The church of Saint Francis |
| it is the town’ Garden of Heaven, an uncontaminated corner where it is possible to take healthy and romantic walks, breath pure air, admire wonderful animal exemplars or ride the horses to feel in close connection with nature. It is also easy to have nice picnics since there are many stone barbecues and tables in the pinewood. |
it stands 5 km. away from the town; many are the churches from the 14th to the 17th century, among them the Church dedicated to Santa Barbara and the magnificent campanile adorned with mosaics. On the top of the old town there are the ruins of an ancient 14th century castle that served as a residence for the kings, as a protection for the town and as a jail for the offenders. |
it is the only existing sacred building among the 37 that were in Castell’Umberto. The church has five altars, two of them engraved in Corinth style and one in Tuscan style. Inside there is a superb statue of the Virgin attributed to Gagini. |